Desalination Sustainability Efforts In Saudi Arabia Highlighted By KACST And The Saudi Water Authority

The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and Water Desalination, the transitional operational arm of the Saudi Water Authority, held a workshop titled "Towards Sustainable Water Desalination" to examine the present and future of desalination in Saudi Arabia, focusing on water security, environmental impacts, and long‑term economic sustainability.

Participants from scientific, regulatory and industrial bodies shared views on obstacles facing the desalination sector and outlined research and industrial needs for more sustainable operations. Discussions included technology localisation, supply chain development, and ways to align future projects with national strategies that seek secure, efficient and environmentally responsible water services.

Chief Desalination Officer Eng. Abdullah Al-Zowaid presented the National Water Strategy 2030, which aims to secure reliable water supplies while protecting natural resources. Eng. Abdullah Al-Zowaid noted that the strategy targets better demand management, higher efficiency of use, and a sustainable balance between available resources and growing national needs.

Eng. Abdullah Al-Zowaid explained that the National Water Strategy 2030 further seeks to raise the quality and efficiency of water services and protect the surrounding environment. The strategy also encourages sector competitiveness through effective governance, greater private sector participation, and localisation of specialised Saudi capabilities to operate and maintain desalination and related infrastructure.

KACST Vice President for the Sustainability and Environment Sector Dr. Abdullah Al-Khudhiri stated that desalination should be viewed as a complete ecosystem rather than a single technology. Dr. Abdullah Al-Khudhiri said it overlaps with national policies, regulations, energy planning, economic considerations, technological innovation and environmental standards that guide Saudi Arabia’s broader development goals.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Khudhiri highlighted that the workshop provided a venue to exchange expertise, present practical field experiences, and clarify national directions for developing a more efficient desalination ecosystem. Dr. Abdullah Al-Khudhiri stressed the strategic role of KACST’s National Laboratory in applied research, establishing partnerships, and turning research and innovation outputs into solutions that support Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.

Technologies, renewable energy and sustainable water desalination challenges

According to Dr. Abdullah Al-Khudhiri, innovative models already implemented within Saudi Arabia demonstrate a real shift from laboratory experiments to scalable operational systems. These models, deployed at national level, show how new approaches help reduce environmental impacts from desalination plants and improve the overall sustainability of water production in the Kingdom.

Workshop sessions covered integration of renewable energy sources with desalination units, adoption of advanced technologies, and mechanisms for technology transfer and localisation. Experts examined how solar or other renewable power could reduce fuel dependence, while improved plant designs and modern processes may cut emissions, lower costs, and support long‑term water security targets.

To clarify the main pillars discussed during the meeting, several strategic elements of the National Water Strategy 2030 and sustainable desalination were grouped as follows:

By the end of the workshop, participants had outlined priority areas for future cooperation between KACST, Water Desalination and other stakeholders. These priorities centred on advancing applied research, expanding strategic partnerships and accelerating technology localisation, with the shared aim of supporting Saudi Vision 2030 targets for sustainable water security and responsible desalination across the Kingdom.

With inputs from SPA